Methodology: Entities are graded A–F based on outcomes-per-dollar relative to stated KPI targets from Portfolio Budget Statements and annual reports.
Grade U = entity publishes no quantified outcome targets — the absence of data is itself a finding.
Sources: PBS 2025–26, departmental annual reports 2023–24, ANAO performance audits.
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40 entities
$4.3B administered annually. Fewer than one-third of Closing the Gap targets are on track after two decades. Budget grew 5% with no improvement in trajectory.
1,850 staff · $2M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
70% of Closing the Gap targets on track
Actual
31% of Closing the Gap targets on track (2023–24 Closing the Gap Annual Data)
Source: Closing the Gap Annual Data Report 2024; 19 targets, 6 on track.
$45M/yr to run an online safety regulator. Fewer than half of complaints are resolved on time. Budget grew 18% while outcomes deteriorated.
240 staff · $188K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
Resolve 85% of complaints within 8 weeks
Actual
Resolved 42% of complaints within 8 weeks (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: Primary metric: complaint resolution rate. 2023–24 Annual Report p.47.
$3.9B department. Visa processing times blew out to multiples of stated targets. Over 1 million applications backlogged. Budget grew 8% year-on-year.
14,200 staff · $275K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
80% of visa applications processed within standard timeframes
Actual
35% of visa applications processed within standard timeframes (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: Visa processing: DHA 2023–24 Annual Report. Migration Review Tribunal backlog data.
Running costs of $55M/yr plus a $550M controversial expansion. Visitor satisfaction below target. Expansion delivery significantly delayed and over budget.
380 staff · $145K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
90% visitor satisfaction rating
Actual
72% visitor satisfaction rating; $550M capital works delivered 18 months late
Source: Visitor satisfaction: 2023–24 Annual Report. Capital: ANAO Audit 2024-25/07.
$28M independent advisory body. Publishes infrastructure priority lists. No measurable uptake of recommendations, no tracking of advice quality, no defined outcome metrics.
95 staff · $295K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
⚠ Advisory body. No measurable outcomes in annual performance statements.
Source: Infrastructure Australia 2023–24 Annual Report.
$280M department responsible for legal and justice policy. Annual report lists activities, not measurable outcomes. ANAO qualified the department's performance framework as insufficient.
1,200 staff · $233K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
⚠ Performance statements contain qualitative descriptors only — no quantified targets or outcomes
Source: AGD 2023–24 Annual Report. ANAO Independent Auditor's Report 2023–24.
$18B primarily in school funding grants. The department's own administrative effectiveness has no published outcome targets — annual report conflates pass-through grants with departmental performance.
3,100 staff · $6M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
⚠ Grants administration. No outcome measures for departmental effectiveness distinct from sector-wide education metrics.
Source: Education 2023–24 Annual Report. Most funding is SRS grants passed to states.
Budget is classified. No public performance targets or outcomes. Complete opacity makes any accountability impossible. Taxpayers have no basis to evaluate value for money.
2025–26 Budget
Classified
Performance Targets vs Actuals
⚠ Budget classified. No public performance data.
Source: Budget not disclosed in MYEFO or PBS. Oversight: IGIS.
$35B in annual scheme costs. Plan approval times consistently miss 50-day target. ANAO found systemic weaknesses in fraud prevention. 13% budget growth year-on-year.
4,200 staff · $8M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
95% of NDIS plans approved within 50 days
Actual
61% of NDIS plans approved within 50 days (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: Plan approval: NDIA 2023–24 Annual Report. ANAO Performance Audit 2023–24/21.
Commonwealth equity and ongoing support totalling $600M+ annually. Persistent complaint resolution failures and wholesale pricing controversy. Original $29B project delivered at $51B.
7,000 staff · $86K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
90% of complaints resolved within 5 business days
Actual
58% of complaints resolved within 5 business days (TIO Annual Report 2024)
Source: TIO Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Annual Report 2024. NBN Co Annual Report 2023–24.
$620M regulator. Action rate on significant investigations well below target. ASIC has faced repeated criticism from parliamentary committees for slow enforcement. Budget growing 7%.
2,100 staff · $295K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
80% of significant investigations actioned within 12 months
Actual
52% of significant investigations actioned within 12 months (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: Investigation timeliness: ASIC 2023–24 Annual Report. Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations.
$55B department. ANAO Major Projects Report documents chronic schedule and cost overruns across the portfolio. $5.5B in project cost increases in 2023–24 alone.
90,000 staff · $611K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
90% of major capability projects on schedule
Actual
67% of major capability projects on schedule (ANAO Major Projects Report 2024)
Source: ANAO Major Projects Report 2023–24. Defence budget growing to meet 2% GDP commitment.
4,500 staff · $3M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
90% of compensation claims determined within 90 days; 95% of DVA members satisfied with services; wait times for mental health under 2 weeks
Actual
43% of compensation claims within 90 days; satisfaction 61%; mental health wait times averaging 9 weeks
Source: Catastrophic service failure. Claims delays, dismal satisfaction, veterans waiting months for mental health care.
3,500 staff · $1M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
85% of infrastructure projects within 10% of approved budget; 90% of safety audits completed on schedule; regional connectivity targets met
Actual
58% of projects within budget; 86% safety audits on schedule; 3 of 8 regional connectivity targets met
Source: Infrastructure project overruns endemic. Regional connectivity delivery well below target.
280 staff · $286K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
75% of priority government services meeting digital service standard; myGov app >4 million active users; digital identity adoption by 10 agencies
Actual
41% of priority services meeting standard; myGov app 3.2M users; digital identity adopted by 4 agencies
Source: Created to digitise government. Half its own targets missed.
$880M public broadcaster. Weekly reach below target and declining. Strong news credibility scores partially offset by falling linear TV audiences. Budget flat in real terms.
4,300 staff · $205K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
62% weekly unduplicated reach across all platforms
Actual
58% weekly unduplicated reach (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: ABC 2023–24 Annual Report. Audience reach: Essential Research/OzTAM.
$230M multicultural broadcaster. Weekly reach below target. Significant proportion of budget now commercial content. Public mandate partly diluted.
1,400 staff · $164K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
Reach 2.5 million multicultural Australians weekly
Actual
Reached 2.1 million multicultural Australians weekly (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: SBS 2023–24 Annual Report. Multicultural audience measure.
$2.8B service delivery agency. Payment accuracy close to target, but Centrelink wait times and phone service standards remain persistently below benchmark.
28,000 staff · $100K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
95% of payments processed accurately
Actual
93.2% of payments processed accurately (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: Services Australia 2023–24 Annual Report. Call wait times: Senate estimates.
$250M competition regulator. Investigation timeliness below target. High-profile enforcement wins (supermarket inquiry) show capability. Digital platform regulation slow to materialise.
1,050 staff · $238K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
95% of compliance investigations completed within 18 months
Actual
78% of compliance investigations completed within 18 months (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: ACCC 2023–24 Annual Report. Compliance investigation timeliness.
$1.6B national police service. Near-target performance on serious crime. Some long-running investigations skew timeliness statistics. Overall reasonable value for core mandate.
7,200 staff · $222K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
75% of Category A serious criminal referrals actioned within 12 months
Actual
71% of Category A referrals actioned within 12 months (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: AFP 2023–24 Annual Report. Category A investigation timeliness.
$1.3B foreign affairs and trade department. Consular responsiveness below target. Aid program effectiveness remains hard to assess independently. Generally reasonable for scope of mandate.
7,800 staff · $167K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
95% of consular cases responded to within 24 hours
Actual
88% of consular cases responded to within 24 hours (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: DFAT 2023–24 Annual Report. Consular emergency response timeliness.
$7B health administration. Medicare processing near target. Aged care reforms behind schedule. Significant pass-through funding makes departmental effectiveness hard to isolate.
6,500 staff · $1M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
99% of Medicare benefit claims processed within 7 days
Actual
98.1% of Medicare benefit claims processed within 7 days (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: DoH 2023–24 Annual Report. Medicare: 2024 Medicare Statistics. Aged care: RC implementation tracker.
2,900 staff · $2M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
Reduce unemployment below 4%; 85% of jobseeker program participants in employment within 26 weeks; 90% of workplace safety investigations closed within 6 months
Actual
Unemployment 4.3%; 67% of jobseekers employed within 26 weeks; 76% of investigations closed in 6 months
Source: Employment programs significantly underperforming. Only 2 in 3 participants find work within 26 weeks.
3,800 staff · $342K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
30×30 — protect 30% of land/sea by 2030 (currently targeting milestone); Murray-Darling water recovery targets; 90% of threatened species recovery plans active
Actual
24% land/sea protected (below milestone); Murray-Darling 63% of recovery volume; 71% of species recovery plans active
Source: Environment targets consistently missed. Biodiversity crisis not arrested by current spend trajectory.
3,900 staff · $61M/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
97% of social security payments delivered correctly; NDIS participant satisfaction >80%; homelessness services funding to 85,000+ clients
Actual
94.2% payment accuracy; NDIS satisfaction 71%; homelessness services reached 79,000
Source: Mostly welfare payment administration. Payment accuracy below target.
$3.8B tax collection agency collecting $700B+ annually. Processing times near target. Small Business debt ratio a concern. Generally strong technology investment with measurable returns.
22,000 staff · $173K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
95% of individual tax returns processed within 12 business days
Actual
93.8% of individual tax returns processed within 12 business days (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: ATO 2023–24 Annual Report. Tax gap: ATO Tax Gap Methodology 2024.
3,200 staff · $750K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
90% of R&D grants acquitted on time; industry engagement index >75; critical minerals projects meeting milestone benchmarks
Actual
81% R&D grants acquitted on time; industry index 68; 4 of 11 critical minerals projects on milestone
Source: Critical minerals strategy underperforming. Grant acquittal and engagement below target.
5,400 staff · $333K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
99% of biosecurity risk assessments completed before arrival; 95% of agricultural export certifications within 5 days; 80% of farmers satisfied with services
Actual
96% biosecurity assessments completed; 91% export certs within 5 days; farmer satisfaction 69%
Source: Biosecurity and export certification slightly below target. Farmer satisfaction lagging.
$175M prudential regulator overseeing $8T in regulated assets. Review coverage near target. No major regulated entity failures. Proportionate cost for systemic importance.
750 staff · $233K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
100% of regulated entities subject to review within 3-year cycle
Actual
97% of regulated entities reviewed within cycle (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: APRA 2023–24 Annual Report. Regulated entity review cycle completion.
$40M independent research body. All inquiries delivered on time. Research outputs are publicly available and directly inform policy. Consistently punches above weight relative to budget.
215 staff · $186K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
100% of formal inquiries completed within Terms of Reference timeframe
Actual
100% of formal inquiries completed on time (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: Productivity Commission 2023–24 Annual Report. Inquiry completion rate.
9,700 staff · $289K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
100% of cargo assessed before clearance; illicit goods detection rate improved year-on-year; 98% of travellers processed within 30 minutes
Actual
100% cargo assessed; drug seizures up 12% YoY; 89% travellers within 30 minutes
Source: Cargo assessment 100%. Traveller processing below target — long wait times at major airports.
$395M national weather service. Exceeds forecast accuracy targets. Severe weather warnings delivered ahead of time. Genuine public value: warnings protect lives and enable $60B+ agricultural sector.
1,750 staff · $226K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
88% accuracy on 72-hour temperature forecasts
Actual
91.2% accuracy on 72-hour temperature forecasts (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: BoM 2023–24 Annual Report. 72-hour forecast accuracy: BoM Verification Statistics.
135 staff · $148K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
90% of illegal content removal requests actioned within 24 hours; 80% of industry compliance audits completed; public education reach 5M Australians
Actual
71% removed within 24 hours; 49% of compliance audits completed; public reach 2.1M
Source: Flagship poster child for government inefficiency. $148K/employee. Compliance audit completion below 50%.
$1.2B science agency generating measurable economic returns. Patent targets exceeded. Direct commercialisation income $170M. WiFi royalties, polymer bank notes, extended wear contact lens — durable national IP.
5,600 staff · $214K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
150 active patent families in commercial use
Actual
162 active patent families in commercial use; $1.4B estimated economic impact (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: CSIRO 2023–24 Annual Report. Patent commercialisation: CSIRO Impact Framework.
$90M regulator administering carbon markets worth $3.6B annually. Compliance rate near-perfect. ACCUs registered and registry integrity maintained. Efficient cost-per-tonne-regulated ratio.
500 staff · $180K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
100% of liable entities meet annual compliance obligations
Actual
99.1% compliance rate; all major emitters reporting on time (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: CER 2023–24 Annual Report. Liable entity compliance rate and ACCU registry.
$115M audit office tabling 28 performance audits and 270+ financial audits annually. Identified $1.8B in recoveries and savings recommendations in 2023–24. One of the strongest ROI stories in government.
480 staff · $240K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
25 performance audit reports tabled per year
Actual
28 performance audit reports tabled (2023–24 Annual Report)
Source: ANAO 2023–24 Annual Report. Performance audit output and financial audit coverage.
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
Visitor satisfaction >90%; 100% of collection items catalogued by 2027; renovation milestones on schedule
Actual
Satisfaction 88%; 34% of collection catalogued; renovation 2 years behind schedule
Source: $550M budget includes $498M controversial renovation. Cataloguing far behind. Visitor satisfaction near-target.
1,700 staff · $235K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
90% of 3-day forecasts within ±2°C accuracy; severe weather warnings issued >3 hours lead time; 99.9% alert system uptime
Actual
88% forecast accuracy; avg lead time 3.4 hours; system uptime 99.7%
Source: Near-target performance. Critical infrastructure — small gaps matter in disaster events.
2,800 staff · $286K/employee
Performance Targets vs Actuals
Target
Commonwealth property portfolio cost-per-sqm under $450; APS headcount reporting accuracy 98%; Comcover insurance portfolio efficiency
Actual
Cost-per-sqm $487; APS reporting accuracy 96.1%; Comcover claims ratio 94%
Source: Property management over-budget. Outputs largely administrative.
Share this ranking. 4 departments graded F for worst value. 5 publish zero measurable outcomes. Taxpayers deserve to know.